Current-Induced Domain Wall Motion and Tilting in Perpendicularly Magnetized Racetracks

Nanoscale Research Letters

Baoshan Cui¹  Xiaobin Guo¹  Yalu Zuo¹  Dong Li¹  Jijun Yun¹  Kai Wu¹  Xu Zhang¹  Yupei Wang¹  Jianbo Wang¹  Li Xi¹  Minzhang Chen¹  Jian Mao¹ 

[1] Key Laboratory for Magnetism and Magnetic Materials of Ministry of Education & School of Physical Science and Technology, Lanzhou University;

关键词: Spin-orbit torque;    Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy;    Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction;    Domain wall motion;    Domain wall tilting;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s11671-018-2655-6

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract The influence of C insertion on Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI) as well as current-induced domain wall (DW) motion (CIDWM) and tilting in Pt/Co/Ta racetracks is investigated via a magneto-optical Kerr microscope. The similar DMI strength for Pt/Co/Ta and Pt/Co/C/Ta samples reveals that DMI mainly comes from the Pt/Co interface. Fast DW velocity around tens of m/s with current density around several MA/cm2 is observed in Pt/Co/Ta. However, it needs double times larger current density to reach the same magnitude in Pt/Co/C/Ta, indicating DW velocity is related to the spin-orbit torque efficiency and pinning potential barrier. Moreover, in CIDWM, DW velocity is around 103 times larger than that in field-induced DW motion (FIDWM) with current-generated effective field keeping the same magnitude as applied magnetic field, revealing that the current-generated Joule heating has an influence on DW motion. Interestingly, current-induced DW tilting phenomenon is observed, while this phenomenon is absent in FIDWM, demonstrating that the current-generated Oersted field may also play an essential role in DW tilting. These findings could provide some designing prospects to drive DW motion in SOT-based racetrack memories.

【 授权许可】

Unknown